The Santos Novos Tempos Project is part of the Brazil Municipal Lending Program (BMLP), a series of up to eight World Bank-financed operations for key cities having a common focus on poverty alleviation, urban environment, local economic development, and municipal management.

"This partnership with the World Bank strengthens the strategic vision of the Government of Santos, intended to address obstacles to our city's growth and to maximize the benefits that Santos and our population can gain from regional economic development" said Santos Mayor Joao Paulo Tavares Papa.

With a population of nearly 420 thousand inhabitants, Santos is a dynamic economic pole in the Southeast of Brazil and shelters the largest and busiest container port of Latin America. The city is experiencing rapid economic growth driven by its diversified economic base, in sectors such as energy, tourism, research and technology.

Despite relatively positive social and development indicators, Santos faces challenges to its long-term sustainable growth and to the well-being of its population.

"The Santos Novos Tempos Project supports the vision for a more equitable, sustainable and competitive city that will benefit not only its dwellers, but the State of Sao Paulo and Brazil. It is tailored to local priorities and conditions, by addressing constraints to growth, social challenges and environmental vulnerabilities to promote the city's competitiveness and sustainable economic development", said Makhtar Diop, World Bank Director for Brazil.

The project activities are organized in two fronts that will benefit all city residents, especially the poorest. The first aims at strengthening the institutional capacity of the Municipality to be able to offer more and more efficient services; the second will revitalize the now degraded northwest zone of Santos. Those goals will be achieved by:

• Undertaking of City-Port revitalization initiative studies;
• Production of a regional economic development study;
• Preventing risks of landslides in hillside adjacent to the northwest zone;
• Increasing urban greening and amenities;
• Implementation of an information technology program.

"The investments proposed in the Santos Novos Tempos Project will meet major infrastructure and institutional needs of the City. They will provide the municipal government with technical analyses and proposals to address priority development issues in the region, by focusing on bottlenecks that undermine the City's economic growth, identifying new economic opportunities and improving public services and quality of life to the population" said Paula Pini, World Bank Project Manager.